Calculating power consumption in wireless power delivery systems

ABSTRACT

Various techniques are described herein for calculating power consumption in wireless delivery systems. In one example, power consumption is calculated by receiving information associated with at least one portable device, identifying a discharge/charge curve associated with at least one battery in the at least one portable device, and calculating power consumption of the least one portable device based at least in part on the received information and the identified discharge/charge curve.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/256,694, filed Nov. 17, 2015, titled INTEGRATED CHIPS INCORPORATINGTRANSCEIVER COMPONENTS FOR REMOTE WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY AND FORRECEIVING WIRELESS POWER; and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/163,964, filed May 19, 2015, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESSCHARGING; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/146,233, filed Apr.10, 2015, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS CHARGING, all of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filedApr. 8, 2016, titled WIRELESS CHARGING WITH MULTIPLE POWER RECEIVINGFACILITIES ON A WIRELESS DEVICE; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filedApr. 8, 2016, titled INFERRING BATTERY STATUS OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE INA WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Apr.8, 2016, titled WIRELESS POWER TRANSCEIVERS FOR SUPPLEMENTING WIRELESSPOWER DELIVERY AND EXTENDING RANGE; U.S. application Ser. No.15/093,023, filed Apr. 7, 2016, titled TECHNIQUES FOR STATICALLY TUNINGRETRO-DIRECTIVE WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS; U.S. applicationSer. No. 15/092,026, filed Apr. 6, 2016, titled ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONSWITH CHARGERS IN MULTI-CHARGER WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS;U.S. application Ser. No. 15/091,986, filed Apr. 6, 2016, titledTECHNIQUES FOR DELIVERING RETRODIRECTIVE WIRELESS POWER; U.S.application Ser. No. 15/048,982, filed Feb. 19, 2016, titled WIRELESSLYCHARGEABLE BATTERY APPARATUS; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/048,984,filed Feb. 19, 2016, titled REMOVABLY ATTACHABLE PORTABLE DEVICEAPPARATUS WITH INTEGRATED WIRELESS POWER RECEIVING FACILITIES; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/956,673, filed Dec. 2, 2015, titled TECHNIQUESFOR ENCODING BEACON SIGNALS IN WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS;U.S. application Ser. No. 14/945,741, filed Nov. 19, 2015, titledTECHNIQUES FOR IMAGING WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS AND TRACKINGOBJECTS THEREIN; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/945,783, filed Nov. 19,2015, titled WIRELESSLY POWERED ELECTRONIC DISPLAY APPARATUSES; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/926,014, filed Oct. 29, 2015, titled TECHNIQUESFOR FILTERING MULTI-COMPONENT SIGNALS, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology described herein relates generally to the field ofwireless communication and power transmission, such as wireless powerdelivery systems and clients for receiving wireless power.

BACKGROUND

Many portable electronic devices are powered by batteries. Rechargeablebatteries are often used to avoid the cost of replacing conventionaldry-cell batteries and to conserve precious resources. However,recharging batteries with conventional rechargeable battery chargersrequires access to an alternating current (AC) power outlet, which issometimes not available or not convenient. It would, therefore, bedesirable to derive power for a battery charger from electromagneticradiation.

Accordingly, a need exists for technology that overcomes the problemdemonstrated above, as well as one that provides additional benefits.The examples provided herein are of some prior or related systems andtheir associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and notexclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will becomeapparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the followingDetailed Description.

Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and theirassociated limitations are intended to be illustrative and notexclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will becomeapparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by wayof example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanyingdrawings, in which like references indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example wireless power deliveryenvironment depicting wireless power delivery from one or more wirelesstransmitters to various wireless devices within the wireless powerdelivery environment.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating example operations between awireless transmitter and a power receiver client for commencing wirelesspower delivery.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless powerreceiver (client) in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a system overview diagram illustrating various components ofthe various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example environment including acloud processing system configured to calculate power consumption ofwireless devices in power distribution areas, according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an admin interface of acloud processing system, according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating example processesfacilitating calculation of power consumption of wireless devices,according to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example formof a computer system within which a set of instructions, for causing themachine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussedherein, may be executed.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example formof a computer system within which a set of instructions, for causing themachine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussedherein, may be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not tobe construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described toprovide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certaininstances, well-known or conventional details are not described in orderto avoid obscuring the description. References to “one” or “an”embodiment in the present disclosure can be, but not necessarily are,references to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least oneof the embodiments.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodimentsmutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features aredescribed which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but no other embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art within the context of the disclosure and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certainterms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaningof a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the samecontext, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated thatsame thing can be said in more than one way.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any oneor more of the terms discussed herein, and no special significance ismeant when a term is elaborated upon herein. Synonyms for certain termsare provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the useof other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification,including examples of any terms discussed herein, is illustrative only,and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of thedisclosure or of any term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited tovarious embodiments given in this specification.

Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of thereader, and in no way limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein havethe same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in theart to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, thepresent document, including definitions, will control.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe various techniques forwirelessly charging and/or wireless power delivery from one or morechargers to one or more wireless devices (also referred to herein as“devices” or “target devices”) having embedded, attached, and/orintegrated power receiver clients (also referred to herein as “wirelesspower receivers” or “clients”).

The techniques described herein utilize wireless technologies to deliverpower, data or both. In some embodiments, power, data, or both, may bedelivered simultaneously as a continuous complex waveform, as a pulsedwaveform, as multiple overlapping waveforms, or combinations orvariations thereof. The power and data may be delivered using the sameor different wireless technologies.

The wireless technologies described herein may apply to not onlyelectromagnetic (EM) waves, but also to sound waves, and/or other formsof periodic excitations (e.g., phonons). EM waves may include radiowaves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultravioletradiation, X-rays, and/or gamma rays. Sound waves may include infrasoundwaves, acoustic waves, and/or ultrasound waves. The techniques describedherein may simultaneously utilize multiple wireless technologies and/ormultiple frequency spectrums within a wireless technology to deliver thepower, data or both.

The wireless technologies may include dedicated hardware components todeliver power and/or data. The dedicated hardware components may bemodified based on the wireless technology, or combination of wirelesstechnologies, being utilized. For example, when applied to sound waves,the system employs microphones and speakers rather than antennas.

System Overview/Architecture

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example wireless communication/powerdelivery environment 100 depicting wireless power delivery from one ormore wireless transmitters 101 to various wireless devices 102 withinthe wireless communication/power delivery environment. Morespecifically, FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless power deliveryenvironment 100 in which wireless power and/or data can be delivered toavailable wireless devices 102.1-102.n having one or more power receiverclients 103.1-103.n (also referred to herein as “wireless powerreceivers” or “wireless power clients”). The wireless power receiversare configured to receive wireless power from one or more wirelesstransmitters 101.

As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the wireless devices 102.1-102.n aremobile phone devices 102.2 and 102.n, respectively, and a wireless gamecontroller 102.1, although the wireless devices 102.1-102.n can be any(smart or dumb) wireless device or system that needs power and iscapable of receiving wireless power via one or more integrated powerreceiver clients 103.1-103.n. Smart devices are electronic devices thatcan communicate (e.g., using WiFi) and transmit beacon signals. Dumbdevices are electronic device are passive devices that may notcommunication (e.g., no Bluetooth or Wifi capability) and may nottransmit a beacon signal. As discussed herein, the one or moreintegrated power receiver clients or “wireless power receivers” receiveand process power from one or more transmitters/transmitters 101.a-101.nand provide the power to the wireless devices 102.1-102.n for operationthereof.

Each transmitter 101 (also referred to herein as a “charger”, “array ofantennas” or “antenna array system”) can include multiple antennas 104,e.g., an antenna array including hundreds or thousands of spaced-apartantennas, that are each capable of delivering wireless power to wirelessdevices 102. Each transmitter 101 may also deliver wirelesscommunication signals to wireless devices 102. In some embodiments, thewireless power and wireless communication signals may be delivered as acombined power/communication signal. Indeed, while the detaileddescription provided herein focuses on wirelessly transmitting power,aspects of the invention are equally applicable to wirelesslytransmitting data.

In some embodiments, the antennas are adaptively-phased radio frequencyantennas and the transmitter 101 utilizes a novel phase shiftingalgorithm as described in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,558,661,8,159,364, 8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, U.S. patent application Ser.Nos. 14/461,332 and 14/815,893. The transmitter 101 is capable ofdetermining the appropriate phases to deliver a coherent powertransmission signal to the power receiver clients 103. The array isconfigured to emit a signal (e.g., continuous wave or pulsed powertransmission signal) from multiple antennas at a specific phase relativeto each other.

Additionally, the transmitter 101 may include a time delayed retrodirective radio frequency (RF) holographic array that delivers wirelessRF power that matches the client antenna patterns in three dimensional(3D) space (polarization, shape & power levels of each lobe). It isappreciated that use of the term “array” does not necessarily limit theantenna array to any specific array structure. That is, the antennaarray does not need to be structured in a specific “array” form orgeometry. Furthermore, as used herein he term “array” or “array system”may be used include related and peripheral circuitry for signalgeneration, reception and transmission, such as radios, digital logicand modems.

The wireless devices 102 can include one or more power receiver clients103 (also known as a “wireless power receiver”). As illustrated in theexample of FIG. 1, power delivery antennas 104 a and data communicationantennas 104 b are shown. The power delivery antennas 104 a areconfigured to provide delivery of wireless radio frequency power in thewireless power delivery environment. The data communication antennas areconfigured to send data communications to, and receive datacommunications from, the power receiver clients 103.1-103 and/or thewireless devices 102.1-102.n. In some embodiments, the datacommunication antennas can communicate via Bluetooth™, WiFi, ZigBee™ orother wireless communication protocols.

Each power receiver client 103.1-103.n includes one or more antennas(not shown) for receiving signals from the transmitters 101. Likewise,each transmitter 101.a-101.n includes an antenna array having one ormore antennas and/or sets of antennas capable of emitting continuouswave signals at specific phases relative to each other. As discussedabove, each array is capable of determining the appropriate phases fordelivering coherent signals to the power receiver clients 102.1-102.n.For example, coherent signals can be determined by computing the complexconjugate of a received beacon signal at each antenna of the array suchthat the coherent signal is properly phased for the particular powerreceiver client that transmitted the beacon signal. The beacon signal,which is primarily referred to herein as a continuous waveform, canalternatively or additionally take the form of a modulated signal.

Although not illustrated, each component of the environment, e.g.,wireless power receiver, transmitter, etc., can include control andsynchronization mechanisms, such as a data communication synchronizationmodule. The transmitters 101.a-101.n are connected to a power sourcesuch as, for example, a power outlet or source connecting thetransmitters to a standard or primary alternating current (AC) powersupply in a building. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of thetransmitters 101.a-101.n can be powered by a battery or via other powerproviding mechanism.

In some embodiments, the power receiver clients 102.1-102.n and/or thetransmitters 101.a-101.n utilize or encounter reflective objects 106such as, for example, walls or other RE reflective obstructions withinrange to beacon and deliver and/or receive wireless power and/or datawithin the wireless power delivery environment. The reflective objects106 can be utilized for multi-directional signal communicationregardless of whether a blocking object is in the line of sight betweenthe transmitter and the power receiver client.

As described herein, each wireless device 102.1-102.n can be any systemand/or device, and/or any combination of devices/systems that canestablish a connection with another device, a server and/or othersystems within the example environment 100. In some embodiments, thewireless devices 102.1-102.n include displays or other outputfunctionalities to present data to a user and/or input functionalitiesto receive data from the user. By way of example, a wireless device 102can be, but is not limited to, a video game controller, a serverdesktop, a desktop computer, a computer duster, a mobile computingdevice such as a notebook, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, amobile phone, a smart phone, a battery or component coupled to abattery, a PDA etc. The wireless device 102 can also be any wearabledevice such as watches, necklaces, rings or even devices embedded on orwithin the customer. Other examples of a wireless device 102 include,but are not limited to, safety sensors (e.g., fire or carbon monoxide),electric toothbrushes, electronic door locks/handles, electric lightswitch controllers, electric shavers, etc.

Although not illustrated in the example of FIG. 1, the transmitter 101and the power receiver clients 103.1-103.n can each include a datacommunication module for communication via a data channel. Alternativelyor additionally, the power receiver clients 103.1-103.n can direct thewireless devices 102.1-102.n to communicate with the transmitter viaexisting data communications modules.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram 200 illustrating example operations betweena wireless transmitter 101 and a power receiver client 103 forcommencing wireless power delivery, according to an embodiment.Initially, communication is established between the transmitter 101 andthe power receiver client 103, such as communicate via Bluetooth™, WiFi,ZigBee™, or other wireless communication protocols. The transmitter 101subsequently sends a beaconing schedule to the power receiver client 103to arrange beacon broadcasting and RF power/data delivery schedules withthis and any other power receiver clients. Based on the schedule, thepower receiver client 103 broadcasts the beacon. As shown, thetransmitter 101 receives the beacon from the power receiver client 103and detects the phase (or direction) at which the beacon signal wasreceived. The transmitter 101 then delivers wireless power and/or datato the power receiver client 103 based the phase (or direction) of thereceived beacon. That is, the transmitter 101 determines the complexconjugate of the phase and uses the complex conjugate to deliver powerto the power receiver client 103 in the same direction in which thebeacon signal was received from the power receiver client 103.

In some embodiments, the transmitter 101 includes many antennas; one ormore of which are used to deliver power to the power receiver client103. The transmitter 101 can detect phases of the beacon signals thatare received at each antenna. The large number of antennas may result indifferent beacon signals being received at each antenna of thetransmitter 101. The transmitter may then utilize the algorithm orprocess described in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,558,661, 8,159,364,8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNos. 62/146,233 and 62/163,964. The algorithm or process determines howto emit signals from one or more antennas that takes into account theeffects of the large number of antennas in the transmitter 101. In otherwords, the algorithm determines how to emit signals from one or moreantennas in such a way as to create an aggregate signal from thetransmitter 101 that approximately recreates the waveform of the beacon,but in the opposite direction.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example receiver 300 inaccordance with an embodiment. The receiver 300 includes variouscomponents including control logic 310, battery 320, communication block330 and associated antenna 370, power meter 340, rectifier 350, beaconsignal generator 360 and an associated antenna 380, and switch 365connecting the rectifier 350 or the beacon signal generator 360 to anassociated antenna 390. Some or all of the components can be omitted insome embodiments. Additional or fewer components are also possible.

The rectifier 350 receives (via one or more client antennas) the powertransmission signal from the power transmitter, which is fed through thepower meter 340 to the battery 320 for charging. The power meter 340measures the total received power signal strength and provides thecontrol logic 310 with this measurement. The control logic 310 also mayreceive the battery power level from the battery 320 itself or receivebattery power data from, e.g. an API of an operating system running onthe receiver 300. The control logic 310 may also transmit/receive viathe communication block 330 a data signal on a data carrier frequency,such as the base signal clock for clock synchronization. The beaconsignal generator 360 transmits the beacon signal, or calibration signal,using either the antenna 380 or 390. It may be noted that, although thebattery 320 is shown for being charged and for providing power to thereceiver 300, the receiver may also receive its power directly from therectifier 350. This may be in addition to the rectifier 350 providingcharging current to the battery 320, or in lieu of providing charging.Also, it may be noted that the use of multiple antennas is one exampleof implementation and the structure may be reduced to one sharedantenna, where the receiver multiplexes signal reception/transmission.

An optional motion sensor 395 detects motion and signals the controllogic 310. For example, when a device is receiving power at highfrequencies above 500 MHz, its location may become a hotspot of(incoming) radiation. So when the device is on a person, the level ofradiation may exceed a regulation or exceed acceptable radiation levelsset by medical/industrial authorities. To avoid any over-radiationissue, the device may integrate motion detection mechanisms such asaccelerometers, assisted GPS, or other mechanisms. Once the devicedetects that it is in motion, the disclosed system assumes that it isbeing handled by a user, and signals the power transmitting array eitherto stop transmitting power to it, or to lower the received power to anacceptable fraction of the power. In cases where the device is used in amoving environment like a car, train or plane, the power might only betransmitted intermittently or at a reduced level unless the device isclose to losing all available power.

FIG. 4 is a system overview diagram illustrating various embodiments andcomponents possible, though other combinations and variations arepossible. As shown, among other features, in some embodiments, thewireless power receiver can be in a form of an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) chip, a mobile phone case, in a display device(e.g. computer monitor or television, which in turn may relay power to anearby receiver 103), packaged within a standard battery form factor(e.g. AA battery), etc.

Techniques for Calculating Power Consumption in Wireless DeliverySystems

Techniques for calculating power consumption in wireless power deliverysystems are disclosed herein. More specifically, techniques forcalculating power consumption of devices, operating systems andapplications are disclosed. For example, if multiple mobile phoneshaving different operating systems are being charged via a wirelesspower delivery system, then the system can record power consumption ofeach individual mobile phone, the power consumption of each operatingsystem running on each mobile phone, and the power consumption of eachspecific application running on each mobile phone. For example, a mapapplication may consume more power if it is using GPS and a constantdata connection to a website (versus an application that does not).Also, sometimes users may notice that their mobile phone runs out ofcharge more quickly than before but they would not know why. Thetechniques described herein may make it easier to pinpoint the cause, aswell as provide other benefits.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example environment 500 including acloud processing system 550 configured to calculate power consumption ofwireless devices in power distribution areas 520, according to variousembodiments. As shown in the example of FIG. 5, the example environment500 includes the cloud processing system 550, a network 560, multiplepower distribution areas 520, and multiple third party data consumers510. Each power distribution area 520 includes one or more wirelesspower transmitters or “chargers” 501 in communication with the network560 and an administrator device (either locally or via network 560). Thechargers 501 provide wireless power to various wireless devices asdescribed herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cloud processing system 550 includes multipleservers 540 and data repositories 530. Any number of servers 540 and/ordata repositories 530 may be included with cloud processing system 550.The cloud processing system 550 is configured to calculate power usageof wireless devices in each power distribution area 520.

More specifically, the wireless devices can provide information to thechargers 501 through the use of software on the wireless devices thataccess APIs on the devices to gather the information. For example, acharger 501 may transmit a periodic “Client Query” message to a client.This message requests the client to return a variety of information tothe charger 501. In some examples, the Client Query message may be aZigBee message. Alternatively, the wireless device may automaticallytransmit the information to the charger 501 periodically, or based on atrigger (e.g., when the battery level is below a threshold value, orwhen a rate of power consumption exceeds a threshold value). Theinformation sent to the charger 501 may include a device manufacturername or ID, device model, battery type/model, hardware, operatingsystem, etc. The information may also include periodic updates on orstatus of applications currently running on the device, present batterystatus, device location, RF power received since last request, coulombsin or out of the battery since last request, device temperature, orother information related to power usage.

The charger 501 receives this information and passes it along vianetwork 560 to the cloud processing system 550. Alternatively, in someembodiments, the charger 501 includes local processing capabilities. Thecloud processing system 550 or charger 501 then calculates power usageof the wireless devices based on the received information, includingpower usage based on particular hardware, operating system, applicationusage, etc. For example, the cloud processing system 550 or charger 501may utilize the wireless device's battery status (e.g., voltage and/orcoulombs in/out) to calculate the power usage of the particularhardware. In some embodiments, the cloud processing system 550 orcharger 501 includes a database of types of batteries used in wirelessdevices, and their associated discharge/charge curves. The cloudprocessing system 550 or charger 501 may identify a particulardischarge/charge curve from the information received from the wirelessdevice (e.g., device ID, manufacturer/model number, etc.). The cloudprocessing system 550 or charger 501 may then identify where on thedischarge/charge curve the device's present battery status falls, andfrom that calculate the time to charge or the time to die for thatparticular battery. The cloud processing system 550 or charger 501 mayalso track the percentage of time spent sending power to each wirelessdevice, and from that calculate the amount of power that should bedelivered to each wireless device.

In some embodiments the cloud processing system 550 provides variousinformation and alerts to a user and/or to a charger 501. For example,if the power consumption of particular devices exceed a threshold, thismight trigger an alert. The cloud processing system 550 can also providerecommendations regarding power consumption to a user and/or charger501, and/or the wireless device. For example, if the charger 501scheduled a particular wireless device (“client 1”) to receive 75% ofthe available charge cycles over the last minute, but client 1 reportsthat more power was discharged from its battery than delivered into thebattery, the cloud processing system 550 could report to the user to“move client 1 closer to the charger,” At the same time, charger 501 maydedicate more charging cycles to other wireless devices that may have amore effective power delivery.

The third party data consumers 510 may be any entity that can utilizethe collected wireless device information. For example, the third partydata consumers 510 can include telecommunications service providers,security service providers, home automation systems, energy companies,application developers (e.g., to optimize development across platforms,device manufacturers, etc.). In some embodiments, the third party dataconsumers 510 can purchase and/or otherwise obtain rights to aggregateddata from the cloud processing system 550. For example, a securityservice provider may utilize phase data included in the wireless deviceinformation to determine if there is motion in the power distributionarea 520 (e.g., in lieu of access to motion sensor data). As anotherexample, a home automation system may utilize temperature data includedin the wireless device information to control a home thermostat.

The network 560 may be any type of cellular, IP-based or convergedtelecommunications network, including but not limited to Global Systemfor Mobile Communications (GSM), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA),Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiple Access (OFDM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), EnhancedData GSM Environment (EDGE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), UniversalMobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Evolution-Data Optimized(EVDO), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP), Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), etc.

The network 560 can be any collection of distinct networks operatingwholly or partially in conjunction to provide connectivity to the cloudprocessing system 550, chargers 501 and third party data consumers 510.In some embodiments, communications to and from the cloud processingsystem 550, chargers 501 and third party data consumers 510 can beachieved by an open network, such as the Internet, or a private network,such as an intranet and/or the extranet.

The cloud processing system 550, chargers 501 and third party dataconsumers 510 can be coupled to the network 560 (e.g., Internet) via adial-up connection, a digital subscriber loop (DSL, ADSL), cable modem,wireless connections, direct fiber connections and/or any other types ofconnection.

The databases 530 can be implemented via object-oriented technologyand/or via text files, and can be managed by any database managementsystem. As shown, the databases 530 are coupled to (or otherwiseincluded within cloud processing system 550). However, it is appreciatedthat in some embodiments, the databases 530 may be alternatively oradditionally directly coupled to network 560 and/or distributed acrossmultiple systems.

In some embodiments, and as noted above, the wireless device hasinstalled a simple client application on its operating system (iOS,Android, etc.). The wireless device initially reports the devicehardware information, the operating system device information, and/orthe battery status to the charger 501. For example, the wireless devicemay receive a ZigBee message requesting the information, and may thenreturn the information to the charger 501. Alternatively, the wirelessdevice may automatically provide the information to the charger 501periodically or based on a trigger (e.g., when the battery level isbelow a threshold value, or when a rate of power consumption exceeds athreshold value). The wireless device may periodically update relevantinformation such as running applications, battery status, and locationto the charger 501. The charger 501 reports this information collectedfrom the client to an admin interface of the cloud processing system550. An example of the admin interface of the cloud processing system550 is shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, the admin interface 600 includes general chargingdetails 615 for a selected wireless device. The general charging detailsinclude the selected wireless devices charging status (e.g., notcharging, charging, fully charged) and the battery level of the selectedwireless device. The admin interface 600 further includes voltageinformation 620 for a selected wireless device. The voltage information620 includes RF voltage, the present battery voltage, and the netvoltage. The voltage information 620 may plotted over time to showchanges in the wireless device's voltage.

Returning to FIG. 5, the cloud processing system 550 sends informationand alerts if power level consumption exceeds a threshold orusual/average value. The cloud processing system 550 may send the alertsto the wireless device, to the charger 501, and/or as a notification inthe admin interface. The alerts may be a visual notification on adisplay (e.g., a pop-up window), an audio notification (e.g., an alarm),or other type of notification. The cloud processing system 550 also cansend recommendations regarding power usage based on previously collectedinformation to the wireless device through the charger 501. The wirelessdevice user or the administrator may monitor the calculated power usagebased on hardware, operating system, running apps, or othercharacteristics of the wireless device. This information may also bebeneficial to 3rd party data consumers, such as telecommunicationcompanies, energy companies, and application developers. For example, anapplication developer may utilize the power usage information tooptimize application development across hardware platforms and operatingsystems.

Thus, in some embodiments, the techniques described herein solve theproblem of enabling a charger system to calculate the power consumptionrequirements for hardware, operating systems and applicationsconsistently across devices that are based on different platforms.

In some embodiments, operating systems (such as iOS) may provide abreakdown of battery consumption per application. However, thetechniques described herein are based on the operating system and clientdevice itself, and not a centralized service, Thus, the techniquesdescribed herein provide the power usage information across differenthardware, operating systems and applications.

As described above, the cloud processing system 550 or charger 501 maycalculate the power usage information for devices, operating systems,and/or applications. In some embodiments, this power usage informationis useful for owners of the charger 501 and for owners of the wirelessdevices so they are aware of the cost incurred and the battery lifelength for the wireless devices. This power usage information could alsobe useful for other providers and software developers as a way tooptimize hardware and software energy consumption. Furthermore, on alarger scale, measuring power consumption and application usage at sucha granular level and at such a global scale may be leveraged to uncovertrends. For example, if power consumption increases across many wirelessdevices at one time, this could be an indication of a specific eventmany user are experiencing. For example, if the power consumption for aspecific application (e.g., a weather application) increases for manywireless devices, this could mean that users are experiencing an issuewith that application (e.g., a major weather issue).

In some embodiments, the same power usage information is useful forunderstanding usage habits of users which allows for customizingservices and providing more targeted advertising. For example, if auser's battery performance starts degrading, it is possible to notifythem that it is time to change the battery and to recommend a batterythat meets his or her needs.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating example processes 700Aand 700B, respectively, facilitating calculation of power consumption ofwireless devices, according to various embodiments. An applicationand/or software module having instructions included therein can beexecuted by one or more processors of the wireless device to cause thewireless device, in conjunction with a power receiver client such as,for example, client 103 of FIG. 1, to perform the example process 700A.The wireless device can be any wireless device such as, for example,wireless device 102 of FIG. 1. An application and/or software modulehaving instructions included therein can be executed by one or moreprocessors of a cloud processing system such as, for example, cloudprocessing system 550 of FIG. 5, directing the cloud processing systemto perform the example process 700B.

Referring to FIG. 7A, process 700A illustrates a flow diagram showing anexample process 700A facilitating calculation of power consumption of awireless device in a wireless power delivery environment, according toan embodiment. To begin, at process 710A, the wireless device accessesone or more Application Program Interfaces (APIs) on the wireless deviceto gather information related to the wireless device. For example, theinformation can include a device manufacturer name or ID, device model,battery type/model, hardware, operating system, attached devices (e.g.,wirelessly connected keyboard/mouse), etc. The information can alsoinclude periodic updates on applications currently running or executingon the wireless device, current battery level of the primary battery ofthe wireless device, the wireless device's current/past locations, etc.

At process 712A, the wireless device monitors the applications executingon the wireless device (e.g., those applications that are running orhave a footprint in RAM). At a decision process 714A, the wirelessdevice determines if a trigger is detected. In some embodiments, thetrigger can be configured to occur periodically. Alternatively oradditionally, the trigger can occur if, for example, a threshold levelof power is crossed (either the power dips below low power threshold orpower increases to or above upper power threshold). At process 716A,responsive to the trigger, the wireless device gathers power informationabout the wireless device and, at process 718A, provides the powerinformation to a charger.

Referring to FIG. 7B, process 700B illustrates a flow diagram showing anexample process 700B facilitating calculation of power consumption of awireless device in a wireless power delivery environment, according toan embodiment. To begin, a wireless charger receives power informationfrom a wireless device and transfers the information to a cloudprocessing system. As discussed above, some or all of the processes orsteps discussed can alternatively or additionally be performed by acharger in other embodiments.

At process 710B, the cloud processing system receives the informationassociated with the wireless device. At process 712B, the cloudprocessing system calculates power usage of the client based on theinformation. The power usage may be calculated based on adischarge/charge curve for the particular battery in the wirelessdevice, as described above. Next, at a decision process 714B, the cloudprocessing system determines if a trigger has been detected. In someembodiments, the trigger can be configured to occur periodically.Alternatively or additionally, the trigger can occur if, for example, athreshold level of power is crossed (either the power dips below lowpower threshold or power increases to or above upper power threshold).If a trigger occurs, at process 716B, the cloud processing systemresponsively provides power usage information corresponding to thewireless device to an administer and, at process 718B, to the charger.In some examples, the administrator may use the power usage informationto detect problems with the charging of wireless devices. For example,if power delivery from a charger to all its associated wireless devicesdrops over time, the administrator may be able to determine whethersomething is wrong with that particular charger, or whether something inthe charger's environment has changed.

In some embodiments, the process may also branch at process 712B toprocess 720E where the cloud processing system aggregates data receivedfrom multiple devices and, at process 722B, processes the data toidentify various trends across geographies, chargers, environments,devices, etc. Once identified, at process 724B, the cloud processingsystem provides the aggregated data and or the trend data to a dataconsumer such as, for example, a 3rd party data consumer 510. In someexamples, the data consumer may provide use the aggregated data toprovide additional services for the administrator or the users of thewireless devices. For example, if the aggregated data indicates that100% allocation of power delivery cycles can't keep up with the chargeneeds of the wireless devices, the data consumer may offer a larger orsecond charger to the administrator of the charger.

Example Computer Systems

FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of arepresentative client (e.g., mobile device, tablet computer, categorycontroller, maintenance controller, etc.) 800 in the form of a mobile(or smart) phone or tablet computer device. Various interfaces andmodules are shown with reference to FIG. 8, however, the mobile deviceor tablet computer does not require all of modules or functions forperforming the functionality described herein. It is appreciated that,in many embodiments, various components are not included and/ornecessary for operation of the category controller. For example,components such as GPS radios, cellular radios, and accelerometers maynot be included in the controllers to reduce costs and/or complexity.Additionally, components such as ZigBee™ radios and RFID transceivers,along with antennas, can populate the Printed Circuit Board.

FIG. 9 depicts a diagrammatic representation of a machine, in theexample form, of a computer system 900 within which a set ofinstructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein, may be executed. The computer system 900can be representative of any computer system, server, etc., describedherein.

In the example of FIG. 9, the computer system 900 includes a processor(CPU), memory, non-volatile memory, and an interface device. Variouscommon components (e.g., cache memory) are omitted for illustrativesimplicity. The computer system 900 is intended to illustrate a hardwaredevice on which any of the components depicted in the example of FIG. 1(and any other components described in this specification) can beimplemented. The computer system 900 can be of any applicable known orconvenient type. The components of the computer system 900 can becoupled together via a bus or through some other known or convenientdevice.

The processor may be, for example, a conventional microprocessor such asan Intel x86-based microprocessor. One of skill in the relevant art willrecognize that the terms “machine-readable (storage) medium” or“computer-readable (storage) medium” includes any type of device that isaccessible by the processor.

The memory is coupled to the processor by, for example, a bus. Thememory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random accessmemory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), flash RAM,etc. The memory can be local, remote, or distributed.

The bus also couples the processor to the non-volatile memory and driveunit. The non-volatile memory is often a magnetic floppy or hard disk, amagnetic-optical disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), suchas a CD-ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, or anotherform of storage for large amounts of data. Some of this data is oftenwritten, by a direct memory access process, into memory during executionof software in the computer 13. The non-volatile storage can be local,remote, or distributed. The non-volatile memory is optional becausesystems can be created with all applicable data available in memory. Atypical computer system will usually include at least a processor,memory, and a device (e.g., a bus) coupling the memory to the processor.

Software is typically stored in the non-volatile memory and/or the driveunit. Indeed, for large programs, it may not even be possible to storethe entire program in the memory. Nevertheless, it should be understoodthat for software to run, if necessary, it is moved to a computerreadable location appropriate for processing, and for illustrativepurposes, that location is referred to as the memory herein. Even whensoftware is moved to the memory for execution, the processor willtypically make use of hardware registers to store values associated withthe software, and local cache that, ideally, serves to speed upexecution. As used herein, a software program is assumed to be stored atany known or convenient location (from non-volatile storage to hardwareregisters) when the software program is referred to as “implemented in acomputer-readable medium.” A processor is considered to be “configuredto execute a program” when at least one value associated with theprogram is stored in a register readable by the processor.

The bus also couples the processor to the network interface device. Theinterface can include one or more of a modem or network interface. Itwill be appreciated that a modem or network interface can be consideredto be part of the computer system. The interface can include an analogmodem, ISDN modem, cable modem, token ring interface, satellitetransmission interface (e.g. “direct PC”), or other interfaces forcoupling a computer system to other computer systems. The interface caninclude one or more input and/or output devices. The I/O devices caninclude, by way of example but not limitation, a keyboard, a mouse orother pointing device, disk drives, printers, a scanner, and other inputand/or output devices, including a display device. The display devicecan include, by way of example but not limitation, a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), OLED, or some other applicable known or convenientdisplay device. For simplicity, it is assumed that controllers of anydevices not depicted reside in the interface.

In operation, the computer system 1300 can be controlled by operatingsystem software that includes a file management system, such as a diskoperating system. One example of operating system software withassociated file management system software is the family of operatingsystems known as Windows® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.,and their associated file management systems. Another example ofoperating system software with its associated file management systemsoftware is the Linux operating system and its associated filemanagement system. The file management system is typically stored in thenon-volatile memory and/or drive unit and causes the processor toexecute the various acts required by the operating system to input andoutput data and to store data in the memory, including storing files onthe non-volatile memory and/or drive unit.

Some portions of the detailed description may be presented in terms ofalgorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bitswithin a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are the means used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. An algorithm is, here and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of operations leading to adesired result or output. The operations are those requiring physicalmanipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasonsof common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the followingdiscussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description,discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or“calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to theaction and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system's memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purposesystems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the methods of some embodiments. The requiredstructure for a variety of these systems will appear from thedescription herein. In addition, the techniques are not described withreference to any particular programming language, and variousembodiments may, thus, be implemented using a variety of programminglanguages.

In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a client-server network environment or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment).

The machine may be a server computer, a client computer, a personalcomputer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a set-top box (STB), apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a smart phone aprocessor, a telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch orbridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions(sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by thatmachine.

While the machine-readable medium or machine-readable storage medium isshown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of thepresently disclosed technique and innovation.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that thedisclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machineor computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable (storage) media include but are not limitedto recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memorydevices, floppy and other removable disks, hard disk drives, opticaldisks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital VersatileDisks, (DVDs), etc.), among others, and transmission type media such asdigital and analog communication links.

CONCLUSION

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling ofconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall referto this application as a whole and not to any particular portions ofthis application. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, thedisclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedisclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order,alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employsystems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes orblocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/ormodified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of theseprocesses or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways.Also, while processes or blocks are, at times, shown as being performedin a series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed inparallel, or may be performed at different times. Further, any specificnumbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations mayemploy differing values or ranges.

The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further embodiments of thedisclosure.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theteachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the disclosure to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but alsoall equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure underthe claims.

While certain aspects of the disclosure are presented below in certainclaim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of thedisclosure in any number of claim forms. For example, while only oneaspect of the disclosure is recited as a means-plus-function claim under35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, other aspects may likewise be embodied as ameans-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such as being embodied ina computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to be treated under 35U.S.C. §112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for”.) Accordingly, theapplicant reserves the right to add additional claims after filing theapplication to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects ofthe disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for determining power consumption of aportable device, comprising: a cloud processing system in communicationwith a wireless charger, wherein the charger is configured to deliverpower to at least one portable device, wherein the at least one portabledevice is powered by at least one battery, wherein the charger receivesinformation from the at least one portable device, wherein the chargertransmits the information to the cloud processing system, and whereinthe cloud processing system determines power consumption of the at leastone battery based on the information.
 2. The system of claim 1, whereinthe cloud processing system determines the power consumption based on adischarge/charge curve associated with the at least one battery, andwherein the discharge/charge curve is identified based at least in parton the received information.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the cloudprocessing system determines the power consumption based on adischarge/charge curve associated with the at least one battery.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless deviceautomatically transmits the information to the charger periodicallywhile the charger delivers power to the at least one portable device. 5.The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable devicetransmits the information to the charger in response to a triggeringevent.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the triggering event is basedat least in part on a request for information from the charger.
 7. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the triggering event is based at least inpart on a battery level of the at least one portable device fallingbelow a threshold level.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein thetriggering event is based at least in part on a rate of powerconsumption of the at least one portable device exceeding a thresholdvalue.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises oneor more of device identification, device manufacturer, device model,device operating system, applications currently running on the at leastone portable device, battery status of the at least one battery, batterytype, battery model, device location, power received since last request,coulombs in or out of the at least one battery since last request, andtemperature.
 10. A method for determining power consumption of aportable device, comprising: receiving information associated with atleast one portable device, wherein the portable device is capable ofbeing wirelessly charged; identifying a discharge/charge curveassociated with at least one battery in the at least one portabledevice; and calculating power consumption of the least one portabledevice based at least in part on the received information and theidentified discharge/charge curve.
 11. The method of claim 10, whereinthe discharge/charge curve is identified based at least in part on thereceived information.
 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:requesting the information from an operating system running on the atleast one portable device.
 13. The method of claim 12, whereinrequesting the information comprising transmitting a ZigBee message tothe at least one portable device.
 14. The method of claim 10, whereininformation is automatically received periodically from the at least oneportable device.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the informationcomprises one or more of device identification, device manufacturer,device model, device operating system, applications currently running onthe at least one portable device, battery status of the at least onebattery, battery type, battery model, device location, power receivedsince last request, coulombs in or out of the at least one battery sincelast request, and temperature.
 16. A computer readable storage mediumhaving instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or moreprocessors of a portable device, cause the portable device to: accessone or more application program interfaces (APIs) of the portabledevice; gather information associated with usage of the portable devicevia the one or more APIs; responsive to a triggering event, provide theinformation associated with usage of the portable device to a wirelesspower delivery system.
 17. The computer readable storage medium of claim16, wherein the triggering event is based at least in part on a requestfor information from the charger.
 18. The computer readable storagemedium of claim 16, wherein the triggering event is based at least inpart on a battery level of the portable device falling below a thresholdlevel.
 19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein thetriggering event is based at least in part on a rate of powerconsumption of the portable device exceeding a threshold value.
 20. Thecomputer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the informationcomprises one or more of device identification, device manufacturer,device model, device operating system, applications currently running onthe portable device, battery status of the at least one battery, batterytype, battery model, device location, power received since last request,coulombs in or out of the at least one battery since last request, andtemperature.